The Valiant Child and The Lost Boy
by Doctored
Summary: The Doctor tries his best to impress Rose with the universe, but the universe bites back when he does, leaving Rose to fight for her very existence in time and space. ReWritten!
1. Prologue

A/N Hey some people may have already read this but I have re-written it so yer, please do bare with me and/or re-read as I have changed some bits and would greatly appreciate all reviews! Prologue 

_It had started to rain, which was odd as it was the middle of summer and when he had entered the Maze, Liam had not seen a cloud in the sky; He had been wondering aimlessly for about 2 hours now and keeping to the left had had no effect, he just wanted to leave. A sound behind him caused him to start and swing round, feet skidding in the mud, he turned to find a wall of crop where only a short while ago there had been the path. Backing away Liam wheeled round to run but fell short when he noticed her. She was but a spirit, a faint ghost glowing in front of him. She opened her mouth and a song more beautiful than anything he had heard before touched his ears, sounds rising and falling in pitch carrying him away from the rain and mud. A Body-less shadow content with the distraction reached out from the hedge and entered the human boy who was too absorbed in the song to notice his life drift away. Hair plastered to its host's head the boy spoke in a language not from earth, promising his angel a new life, a new life for their people._

"So, where d'you wanna go?" Said the Doctor turning to look at his companion.

"No idea…surprise me!" and grinning The Doctor turned to the control system to do just that.

A violent jerk sent both Companion and pilot sprawling across the floor and as was usual, both burst out laughing. Jumping to his feet first the Doctor held out a hand for Rose to take, and grabbing his long brown coat headed for the door.

Stepping out into brilliant sunshine the human and Time Lord looked around at the scenery, each yearning to know where it was they were.

They had landed in the middle of a field where the golden crop grew way above their knees and was all they could see left, right and behind them. Infront of them the field continued for a few meters before ending with an sudden drop. Walking to the edge they could see that they had parked on the brink of a shear and terrifying precipice which ended with sharp jagged rocks and large waves crashing around its base.

"Wouldn't you just love to fall down there?" remarked Rose sarcastically peering over the edge. The Doctor hooked one arm round her waist and pulled her back away from the drop and raised his eyebrows.

"Well don't go near the edge then." And he turned and walked back the way they had come.

Catching up with him Rose grabbed on to his arm and fell into step beside him.

"So… go on where are we?"

"Earth, early 21st century and _we_ are going to a maize maze" he said grinning at her.

"A maze?"

"A _maize_ maze"

"A _maize_ maze?"

"Yup, a maze made of maize, great fun, designed by … Adrian Fisher, great chap, not the best dancer in the world, very tall." Rose just laughed at him and playfully knocked her head against his shoulder.

"What?" she just smiled at him and ran off, through the field of gold.

Puzzled the Doctor gave chase, '_humans' _he thought '_they NEVER say what they're thinking.'_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

After finally catching up with Rose, the Doctor continued to tell her about the maize mazes around the world and why he was so fascinated by them, to which Rose just laughed but she stopped when they came up over the hill and found the road at last. Police vans and ambulances where sticking out of the quiet country landscape like a sore thumb. Men in white jump suits walked around examining the ground and a large police woman stood by the colourful sign -announcing the maize maze to visitors- looking grim and attentive.

Not having noticed Rose's falter the Doctor continued walking down the hill talking to thin air.

"-And this fisher bloke is meant to have designed them all not one being the same as another and I just think that-"

"Doctor" Rose whispered the Doctor's head snapped up and he turned round to face her.

"What?" Rose just nodded to the scene Infront of her and the Doctor turned back round and finally noticed the commotion.

"Oh... Well" he swallowed hard "we've arrived then."

They raced down the hill and up to the old wooden gate that acted as the entrance. About to continue forward onto the farm, the two were spotted by the large policewoman and she came bustling over.

"Sorry love, it's closed," she said addressing Rose who was the nearest to her.

"Yer we can see that, but why is it closed?"

"What? You are joking right? You expect us to keep it open after the murders and disappearances." The Doctor cut across Rose as she was about to speak and stepped forward holding out a plain black wallet containing a slip of plain paper. Physic paper.

"Yer we're here about those incidents my …err... Colleague here" he gestured at Rose "was just testing you so if you don't mind…" the woman scanned the paper and immediately stepped aside to let them through. The Doctor flashed Rose a grin before nodding at the woman and walking through.

"Murders?" Rose glanced at the Doctor a look of uncertainty crossing her face,

"Oh nothing we can't handle" replied the Doctor taking her hand and grinning again.

Rose smiled back at him, she couldn't help it, and when ever he took her hand and gave her that grin she knew everything would be alright and that she was safe.

They walked passed the farm-shop and entered the play area where chess pieces lay abandoned on the giant board and people stood in groups talking in hushed voices. A tall, good-looking man with a leather jacket came over to them.

"Hello? Can I help? This maze isn't open to the public I'm afraid, if you don't have the right ID then I'm afraid I must have you removed." He had a faint Scottish accent and Rose had the feeling that he kept looking at her.

"Well that's nice isn't it? You haven't even _asked _for our ID yet! Honestly Rose these people we come to help and all they can do is criticise and be rude! When did the world get so RUUUDE" Rose grinned and bit her tongue to stop herself laughing at the look on the man's face as the Doctor rambled on.

"Come to see if you could do with a hand! Don't even want to be here but we are and-"

"I'm sorry Mr-"

"Doctor and this is Rose"

"Right Doctor, um… I'm Mr Jackson head scientist here on the site, what area are you?"

"Everything"

"Sorry I don't quite-"

"Everything, I'm brilliant at everything! Now brief me"

"Erm… right … yes this way"

Mr Jackson turned away and Rose raised her eyebrows at the Doctor, who grinned mischievously and gestured after the man.

**Would really appreciate all reviews**

**Ali**


	3. Chapter 2

**Please R&R**

Chapter 2 

"And so what there have been 3 murders?"

"And two disappearances yes" Mr Jackson nodded at the Doctor who had seated himself in the scientist's swivel chair uninvited. Rose had perched herself on the edge of his desk and Mr Jackson leant against the far wall. Rose still had the feeling that he kept looking at her but he looked away before she could catch his eye, this just made her uneasy and she had been silent up to this point in the conversation.

The scientist walked over to Rose and stood Infront of her, still addressing the Doctor but his glance defiantly on Rose more than it wasn't. The Doctor had noticed this too and sat up in his chair.

"And both of those who disappeared where children?"

"Yes, well one girl about 10 and a boy around her age" he nodded in Rose's direction.

"But all of the murders were adults?"

"Yes, all over the age of 35 and those kids that got out of the maze after the first disappearance said that they heard singing"

"Singing?" asked Rose looking over her shoulder at the Doctor.

"Yes singing"

"Right then" said the Doctor jumping up and breaking the tension in the room "I think it's time we had a look at this maze."

Strolling outside the Doctor headed for the maze entrance flagged by a large banner advertising farm products, he stopped before entering and allowed Rose to catch him up, and to his annoyance, Mr Jackson.

"Right then Rose, off we go"

"I'm coming with you."

Sighing the Doctor nodded and walked into the maze.

"It doesn't seem very… murder scene-ish," Rose commented looking around at the sides made of lines of tall maize and the mud path dried by the scorching sun.

"They never do," said the Doctor, he had a look of concern on his face.

"What, what is it?"

"Can't you hear it? Listen" Rose listened and on the wind a faint voice could be heard, young and female. It was singing, singing such a sad yet beautiful song, the music filled her head and swirled around blocking her thoughts like a mist, finding it's way in to every inch of her mind. Then the singing grew louder and louder and it was all Rose knew, a voice then spoke over the song drilling into her head.

"_Rose Tyler, welcome to the end." _

Rose's eyes snapped open; she hadn't even known that she had closed them. The Doctor and Mr Jackson were looking at her concern etched on their faces.

"Ok then… don't listen" the Doctor dais playfully tapping his knuckles on her head, she smiled and opened her mouth to bite back as she always did with the Doctor's comments but he had wondered off mumbling to himself.

"I guess that the young are affected more than the old then, mm… must be a higher frequency"

They continued on more warily, the Doctor often stopping to examine something, Rose didn't actually know whether he was actually doing something or just wanted Mr Jackson to think he was. Twice more her head was invaded by the song and the funny thing was that neither the Doctor nor Mr Jackson could hear it as she did. She hadn't said anything about the voice, as she wasn't sure if the Doctor was planning on telling the annoying scientist their true identities. The sky had become increasingly darker and thin rain fell as a sticky spray. Not thinking much of the maze and feeling the toll of her late night Rose dawdled a few steps behind the two men. Something flashed in the light and caught her eye, bending to see what it was Rose heard a noise and turned to see that the maize was moving.

The walls were closing in and separating her off from the Doctor.

"Doctor!"

Hearing her screams the Doctor turned back and saw Rose's panicked face before it disappeared behind the wall. He ran back and tried to push the crop aside but they had become conveniently hard to move and formed a solid wall between them even when he did move them more lay behind forming a dense forest preventing him from reaching Rose.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled again and flicked the maize aside only to have it thwack back at her hitting her in the face. She was on her own, cold, lost, wet and bleeding.

Then the music started again. Shaking her head trying to rid her mind of the song Rose felt the panic welling up inside her.

"Go away!" she yelled out loud and turned, trying to run away from it. The more she ran the louder the music got and it seemed to be following her, sucking her in to its world. She ran on. A stitch in her side and her make-up running as tears fell down her cheeks, a tiny trickle of blood running down her cheek from the gash made by the branches hitting her repeatedly. Running blindly on she fell and landed face down in the mud as the rain began to fall heavily down on her. She didn't move.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The Doctor hadn't moved, even as the rain got heavier Mr Jackson was too afraid to say anything and break the silence.

"Doctor?" he whispered

His hair was flat on his head and his suit was soaked through sticking to his skin but the rain didn't seem to be bothering the Doctor.

"Doctor?" Mr Jackson spoke a little louder this time and was about to speak again when the man in front of him turned and began to speed off sloshing through the mud.

"We need to find another way back to there, we need to get through to Rose" he dug his hands into his pockets and walked even faster, the scientist jogging to keep up.

"What happened? Why did the maze move?"

"It wants her and I have no idea why, didn't you notice every time that the music started she glazed off? I don't know but-" he stopped and stamped his foot in the mud, looking left and right down the crossroads he had come to.

"Damn this Adrian fisher bloke and his bloody mazes!" he spun around considering each path in turn and then closed his eyes in the middle of the join. The noises around him became quieter and instead were replaced by other sounds. Laughter. Waves. Running. Conversation snaps. Until he came to the memory he wanted. He opened his eyes and looked down the left path.

"This way!" and he sped off again.

The Doctor ran on only stopping a few times when he came to a fork or a split in the path.

His converse were caked in mud and his trouser legs had splashes of brown up to the knees. His hair lay flattened on his head and his suit was clinging to his body, the rain getting heavier by the minute. He suddenly stopped and skidded unwillingly a few feet before regaining his balance. Arriving breathlessly a few moments later was Mr Jackson clutching a stitch in his side.

"It was here I'm sure it was here" the Doctor muttered walking forward and examining the wall that only a few minutes ago he had stood behind.

"Then…where is she?" he grabbed a handful of hair and began to pace muttering under his breath. Mr Jackson stepped forward and started as something cracked and splintered under his foot. He bent and picked up the broken hair grip.

"Doctor isn't this-"he stopped as the Doctor bounded forward and snatched the pieces from his hands and examined them.

"It's Rose's" he spun in a full circle looking at the ground and pocketing the broken clip.

"Here look something …or someone has been dragged away, and I bet you anything that it was Rose!" he stopped grinning as the meaning of this dawned on him.

"We have to find her!"

And he ran off following the disturbance where puddles were already rapidly forming.

White light pulsed down her spin causing her whole body to spasm. Half of Rose's face felt stiff and she found it hard to move. She was shivering and was soaked to the skin and her ankle throbbed uncomfortably where she had gone down on it. Pain irrupted once again down her back and she cried out.

"I know you are awake child, open your eyes" unwillingingly Rose found herself following the voice's command. She was still outside as rain was falling solidly down on her, water running down her face and she was unsure where the rain ended and her tears began. Rose was terrified. Her whole body felt as if it was on fire and she had no idea where she was.

The Doctor sprinted down the path and skidded round corners, the rain pelting down on him like an endless drum. His hearts seemed to be beating out the rhythm ' _got to find her, got to find her, got to find-' _and it went on blooding pumping in his ears as the fear and panic built up in his stomach. Somehow, he had no idea, but he seemed to know when Rose was in danger or being hurt. His hearts seemed to scream to him to get to her and stop her pain. But where was she? The trail was getting fainter and the rain heavier he felt like he was drowning and he would never be dry again. He had no idea what to do…. But there was one thing he could try.

"Jackson, have you got a phone?" stopping out of breath and baffled Mr Jackson stared blankly at the Doctor.

"I- why- yes I do but-"

"Good give it here" and he grabbed the device from the man's outstretched hand and began to dial the number which he had memorised so long ago.

There was a boy standing Infront of her, about her age maybe younger. His fair hair seemed to shine and he seemed the only dry thing in sight. His eyes also glowed with the same Erie light that surrounded his body and she struggled again as he took a step towards her. He reached out a brushed the strand of soaked blond hair from Rose's face and stroked her cheek.

"So warm, so alive" his hand ran down her cheek again and didn't stop, his hand travelled down her neck and side and came to rest on her pocket. She had felt her phone vibrating for sometime and knew that it was the Doctor but had no energy to reach it. He pulled it out and studied it before pressing the green answer button.

"Rose…. Rose where are you what's happened? Rose!" the Doctor's panicked voice came out of the phone and caused Rose to struggle more than ever, against the unseen force which was draining all her energy and keeping her where she was.

The boy smiled at her showing impossibly white teeth and something else which she could not identify. He reached out and held the phone towards her and then, with his other hand, stroked her cheek again. This time an indescribable pain ripped through her body and she screamed. She couldn't help it, this pain topped all she had felt before, and even the burning sensation that had filled her senses beforehand would have been welcome relief now. White hot fire pulsed up and down her spin setting her nerves alight and boiling her blood. She felt the last of her energy ebbing away and slipped into the welcome blackness that clouded her mind and brought her peace. The boy frowned as she became still and drew his finger away ignoring the panicked yells coming from the handset he was holding and throwing it away. He did not want her dead, he needed her alive, to live through this hell with him. Together. He bent and lifted her in his arms and began to walk away to the other realm a swirling white light engulfing both of them in its glare. He would not loose her again.

The Doctor was scared now. That scream still rattled through him, freezing his blood and breaking both his hearts. The phone was still connected and that was the strange thing. But he couldn't hear anything and that scared him even more. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began playing around with the phone.

"What the- what the hell do you think your doing!"

"I'm going to find her, I'm turning your phone into a tracking device, her phone is still on and that means it's still connected to this phone meaning I can find it and …..Ah ha!!"

"But Doctor… we heard her…. _You_ heard her…. Doctor she's probably dead…. No-one can scream like that and still be alive." The Doctor stopped fiddling for a second and swallowed.

"Someone who has seen as much as she has knows true fear and wouldn't scream unless she had too." He carried on fiddling with the phone and said more to himself than anyone else, "she'll be ok, she _has _to be ok"

"Yeah for both our sanity's sake." Mr Jackson muttered.

Ignoring this comment the Doctor held up the modified phone triumphantly and waved it around before running off again. He was close, he knew it and sure enough he rounded a corner and skidded to a halt spraying mud all over an already soaked phone lying on the ground. He picked it up and turned it off, then looked around. The place shone with an eerie light coming from a single orb which was growing smaller and smaller. Recognition dawning he leapt forward and thrust the sonic screwdriver towards the globe…and vanished.

Mr. Jackson was left, looking like a rabbit caught in the head lights, as the light ebbed away. Standing, ankle deep in muddy water and shivering he just blinked before falling to the ground, dead to the whole bizarre world that has erupted around him.

**A/N a long chapter to make up for a future chapter that wont be so long ;)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The Doctor had been pulled from one realm to another, through a crack in time into another dimension; another world. His atoms being completely vaporized as he traversed from one world to another and reassembled where he landed.

He had, however, been too late to follow Rose exactly and was spat out of the portal on the bank of a lake reflecting the full moon like an icy rippling mirror.

"Oh great as if I wasn't wet enough!"

He climbed to his feet and surveyed his surroundings looking with a desperate hope for any sign of Rose and her captor. Then he saw them.

A boy, Rose's age, stood with the unconscious form of Rose in his arms. His eyes, deep envious green, bored into the Doctor, still panting after his run the two stood, eyes and minds locked in a deep battle of wills.

He knew he could hear him.

"Give her back to me," he said in a deadly whisper, a phase he had said too many times.

"We _must _be together, we _have_ to be together." He sounded almost tearful as he hissed his reply to the Doctor's rage. Despite the wind and rain he could hear every syllable in his rasping reply which chilled him to the core. He didn't understand what the boy wanted with Rose, nor did he want to find out. He started forward into the river, ignoring the piercing cold biting his skin through the pin-striped material.

"What do you mean?" he spat as the boy began to turn away.

The boy smiled dreamily as he looked down at the sleeping Rose and kissed her forehead. The thought of this _thing _touching Rose like he was made the Doctor cringe in disgust and move faster forwards, panic rising up from the pit of his stomach making him want to vomit.

"Wait! You can't take her!" he yelled fighting his way through the restraining water towards them, but he was moving further away, taking Rose with him.

Tears threatened to take the Doctor over but he blinked them back, determined not to be defeated. He _would_ find her!

The first thing that Rose noticed when she woke was that she was wet. Wet and unbelievably cold. Blinking her hair out of her eyes she looked around. She was no longer dressed in her jeans and hoody, but floaty black material clung revealingly to her body. Shivering with her bodies attempt to shake off the cold she moved her body round she yelled out as she came face to face with the boy who had taken her, his nose inches from her own.

"She is awake." He smiled and brushed away her wet hair; she flinched under his touch and tried to move away and the boys smile dropped.

"But why does she struggle?" he put a hand on Rose's thigh to prevent her moving away. A gesture which made Rose retch in disgust and struggle harder.

"She should not be afraid, she will not be harmed." He moved his hand higher and leaned in towards her.

Finding her voice after the shock from the salutation and confusion at his addressing the world in the first person, she spoke.

"Where are my cloths?" she shivered as her rain drenched dress clung desperately to every curve of her body. The boy lifted his other hand and ran it down her side.

"She looks beautiful,"

Casting her mind around for any method of escape she flinched again as he place a finger on the bleeding cut on her head.

"She is hurt, I can heal her but she must not move from here." He moved away into the trees which surrounded the clearing and Rose let out a sigh of relief as she realised the rope which bound her hands together, was connected only to her hands and not the stone table that she sat on. She stood, wobbling on her injured ankle and moved off as fast as she could in the opposite direction, the black material flapping around her legs.

She had to get away from here, the boy looked human and she was pretty sure it was him that Jackson had spoken of disappearing, but what had caused him to not emerge from the maze, and what the hell did he want with her?

The Doctor ran further into the forest, he had been wandering around aimlessly for what felt like hours and the dreaded thought that he may never find Rose was teasing him at the edge of his mind. He pushed it away and pressed on through the dense woodland. The teasing growing louder to a throbbing mock as he shook his head and let out a growl of frustration as his foot caught on a root. Lying flat on his face having bitten his tongue, the Doctor cursed into the mud before rolling onto his back and allowing the rain to fall on his face. Rose's jeans lay half-caked in mud to his left and he raised an eyebrow sitting up. They were defiantly hers, as he dug in the pockets and brought out her phone and TARDIS key, which usually hung on a chain round her neck, another thing she should be wearing but wasn't. An animal-like scream cut through the rain and reached the Doctor's ears. He ran. Pelting heart-before-brain into a clearing he stopped and took in the scene before him. The boy, who had taken Rose, was kneeling in the mud head hanging over screaming hysterically. He approached slowly.

"Where's Rose?"

No reply.

"Where is she?" he spat no sympathy for the whaling boy on the ground.

"He wants to know why she runs?" he jumped up and grabbed the knife from the floor.

"I wants to know why she runs!" and he ran.

Trying his best to keep the manic boy in sight, the Doctor ran on, struggling to hear what he was saying.

"She runs! Oh yes she runs! But why does she runs? But I smells her, so sweet, smells like flowers. Yes I smells her. SHE IS MINE!"

The Doctor ran, ignoring the stabbing stitch in his side, knowing that he had to find Rose before the boy did, or he could not ensure her safety.

**Please R&R I haven't had much interest in this story and may not continue if not enough people like it...so please review and tell me your thoughts!**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Rose ran on, she had stopped to catch her breath but continued as soon as the tail-tale noises of pursuit started to drift through the darkness to her ears. She hated to admit it, but she was terrified, if she hadn't been so scared she might have found the situation amusing or slightly embarrassing. She was running through a forest, in a rain-drenched see-through dress, being chased by some love-struck teenage alien, that wanted to do God-knows-what to her. One thought however would not leave her mind. Where the hell was the Doctor? She _needed _him!

Running blindly through the dense vegetation Rose struggled to put distance between her and her pursuer. She lost her footing and fell, arms flailing, into the mud. She had landed rather painfully on her wrist and feared it could be broken, that added to the renewed pain in her ankle made her want to scream in agony and frustration. Against all odds she still had some fight in her and she clawed at the mud desperate to get a grip to pull her-self up with, but she was slammed back to the ground by a heavy weight which could only be the kidnapper. She struggled and kicked out.

"She runs, I chases and I catches!" he whispered in her ear as she writhed beneath his body. She could feel him run his hand over her exposed hip and kicked out violently. She allowed her-self to briefly acknowledge her victory as his face grimaced in pain above her and he loosened his hold on her and she rolled away.

It was then she saw the flash of metal.

It was then that the Doctor charged out of the trees.

It was then that Rose Tyler looked down and saw her hands covered in blood.

Her blood.

Time seemed to stop.

She saw the Doctor's eyes, wide with fear.

She saw the boy, moving away holding the guilty knife.

She felt the rhythmic beating of two hearts as she was clasped to a warm body.

She knew it was the Doctor.

Knew it would all be ok.

Then Rose Tyler knew no more.

**A very short chapter I know and am sorry but will post the next one soon ******


	7. Chapter 6

**Please R&R am soooo sorry for the length of time between chapters and the pittyful length of the chapters themselves but i have been ill, had exams and family problems so do forgive me and let me know you are still reading by submitting a review to tell me what you like and dont like, also i am looking for a Beta but fear not they would not have much work as, as you can see, I do have a problem with updating my stories but i have a new story in the pipeline and they would be the first to read it!**

**Chapter 6**

Rose blinked twice as her surroundings came into focus. She was in a room filled with humming machinery, one that was attached to her own arm. The TARDIS med.-bay. She felt a warm weight on her leg and smiled down at the sleeping form of the Doctor, muttering incomprehensibly in his sleep. Shifting slightly she felt the tail-tale restriction of bandages around her abdomen and grimaced as her wound re-opened. She wasn't sure whether to wake the Doctor or let him sleep, as to her knowledge he rarely shut his eyes. She gently eased her leg away and swung it out from under the white sheets. Screwing her eyes up at the sudden dizziness and nausea that overtook her she shook her head and placed her feet on the floor.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She jumped as the Doctor moved his head up, hair standing up wildly, tie loose around his neck and his eyes red and blood-shot. He looked awful.

"Cuppa tea?" she said unhelpfully.

He raised an eyebrow, the concern clear in his eyes.

"Well you were asleep so I thought I would just…" she shrugged and gestured to the door. The Doctor rubbed his eyes and smiled.

"Rose Tyler! You never cease to amaze me. _You_ have just been stabbed and _you_ want to make _me_ a cup of tea?"

She shrugged again.

"Well when you put it like that…"

He nodded and pointed his head at the bed.

"Get in," he ordered and held back the crisp white sheets so she could do so. She smiled sarcastically and threw her-self onto the bed, immediately regretting it.

"I can close that up properly in a bit, I couldn't when you were asleep as that part of your brain shuts down." The Doctor explained acknowledging her grimace of pain, she nodded and smiled to her-self again at his appearance.

"You look a mess you know?"

"Oh gee miss Tyler so full of complements, I would say the same to you but you know for a girl you just had a knife stuck in her chest you look pretty good."

She smiled again at him and yawned.

"What happened?" his eyes glazed over and it occurred to Rose that he may have just ignored her.

"Doctor?"

He snapped back to reality and smiled a sad smile at her.

"How about that cuppa then? I'll be right back, you should go back to sleep!" he threw back over his shoulder as he left the room.

Rose sighed and leant back on her pillow, he would have to tell her sometime.

The Doctor sighed and leant his head against the closed door of the mug cupboard. He would have to tell her sometime. He closed his eyes against the burning heat of the real world and slipped back into the happenings of the day. How could such a carefree, fun trip to a maze come out so wrong? When Rose collapsed after being stabbed his whole world had stopped and it made him realise how much she really meant to him. He wasn't ready to go on without her, not yet. But would he ever be ready? How could he tell Rose that the boy that stabbed her believed that it was her time? That the whole shurade of murders and disappearances was to draw them in so that he could take her away from him, the boy had said this when the Doctor had begun to walk away with Rose. He told him how he was sorry about what he had done, but it _was_ the right thing to do, that 'they _needed_ to be together'. As if _he_ didn't need Rose, because he did! He needed her more than anything, she had saved him, more than she would ever know and he couldn't loose her. It was selfish he knew, but it wasn't _her _time anymore than it was his. He couldn't tell her, not yet.

Rose stared up at the ceiling feeling contentedly warm, heat pulsing from her chest, she was safe, it had been another close call, more close than normal but she knew that the Doctor would sort it. When the warm pulsing feeling did not stay at a warm pulsing feeling, but spread to a scorching heat burning into her skin; it was then that Rose became aware that she was wearing a locket that did not belong to her. She drew breath to yell out but when she did her voice echoed back to her off stone cave walls, not the homely metal of the TARDIS interior. The reassuring white of the med-bay had vanished and she lay on the cold stone floor, the metal of the locket leaving a mark on her neck where the white hot heat continued to pulse. Then the shadows moved, the boy moved into the light of burning embers of a fire and smiled.

"It is time!"


End file.
